Who’s Listening to Whom?

Submitted by Mitch Seigel on Tues, 2/10/2015

Often times intentions are great when calling on an account for the first time. You are there to listen to them tell you about their needs, challenges, initiatives, etc. Then an amazing thing happens...your client asks you a question, and of course, you answer. It’s what you don’t do in the next few seconds that turns the entire meeting around, and now your client is listening to you, more than you are listening to him/her.

What you need to do at that critical moment, just after answering your client’s question, is to have another question ready to ask of them. When you do this, you stay in control of the conversation and you continue down the path of being a solution provider to their needs.

How do you do this, you may ask? Preparation, of course! You need to have seven or eight concrete questions ready to go. Otherwise after just two to three seconds, your client is asking you another question, and then another, etc. Nothing is wrong with your client asking questions, and you giving them the answers, but remember what your initial intentions were for the meeting. You must stay in control!

The best way to show your client that you came prepared is to have the questions written down, and when you are about to begin the meeting you open your notes to those questions so your client can see are prepared. Then ask if it’s OK if you ask a few questions. In thirty seven years I have yet to have a client say, ‘no, it is not OK for you to ask me questions!’

Your client will know you are listening when you either repeat some of what they say, to make sure you understand correctly, and also when you ask secondary questions based on their answers. Just don’t go off into tangents and get off course. Your last question should be, ‘when can we meet again to go over some ideas or a proposal?’

If you have troubles with this part of the sales process, practice with a friend, saying the questions over and over and over again.

What are your challenges when it comes to listening? I look forward to hearing your comments. Until next time...